MADISON, Wis. (Midwest Communications) - Wisconsin National Guard soldiers are about to enjoy what they missed last fall – deer hunting. The DNR is matching up soldiers with farmers who own deer damage permits. So far, 95 guard members who are just home from Iraq or Afghanistan have signed up for the special hunt. 9 farmers have volunteered 50 deer tags – and so far, 22 soldiers have been matched up with farmers. The first hunts are expected to begin this month.

In January, 3,500 members of Wisconsin’s Red Arrow Brigade returned from Iraq – the guard’s largest call up since World War II. Command Sergeant Major George Stopper calls it a “great gesture by the DNR.” He says many veterans are outdoor enthusiasts – and they would have been deer hunting last fall had they not been deployed. Governor Jim Doyle said the newest veterans missed a life-long hunting tradition that many enjoy – and with the help of farmers, Doyle calls it “a problem we can fix.”

(from WTAQ-Green Bay)